Decorating in the French Country Style

Bring This Charming Style to Your Own Home

When you think of Provence and the French countryside, you're sure to see lavender fields and bright sunshine. While there are many elements that contribute to the French Country style of decorating, the resulting look is always rustic, old-world, and welcoming. The look fits well into both country houses and elegant, old chateaux. The French Country style of decorating, with its warm and casual feel will fit beautifully into your home as well.

Colors used to decorate in the French Country style come from the full spectrum of the color wheel. Sunny yellow and soft gold, firey red and burnt rust, bright grass green and dark hunter green, cobalt blue and soft ocean tones -- all these are found in this wonderful decorating style.

Bright black and dull grays punctuate the bright colors and define accessory pieces. Rusted metal furniture, lighting fixtures, and furniture give warm color and wonderful lines.

An important element in pieces used in French Country style decorating is the use of natural materials. Rough stained or painted plaster walls, hefty beamed ceilings and walls, delicate carved wood details, and chair seats woven of rush give texture and simplicity to the look. Natural stone floors are covered with wool or cotton rugs.
No real French Country home is complete without a stone fireplace. A heavy beam at the top of the opening serves as a mantle. Tiles, either stone or ceramic, form the border. The hearth is clay or brick, and herbs, copper pots, and iron accessory pieces hang on the side walls.

Architectural features like stone walls and floors, raw wood distressed ceiling beams and timbers, and irregular plaster walls form the frame of a home decorated in the French Country style.

New or reproduction ]rustic furniture has the ambiance of curved panels, hand-carved decorations, and raw wood. No room decorated in the French Country style would be without an armoire to store pots and pans, clothing, bed or bath linens, or tableware.

A large dining table, rectangle or round, must have a dull waxed or low-sheen finish. Curved and carved details grace dining and occasional chairs. Chairs are either ladderback style or have vertical slats, often with rush seating.
Rustic flooring is of stone, clay, or brick. Old wooden boards work well, too. The focus here is on old and charming.
Typical of French Country interiors are pieces with contrasting texture and color. Pale plaster walls and ceilings are punctuated with dark rough wood beams. Colorful Provencal printed fabrics are set off against light-toned natural seating.

Deeply cut window sills hold tall, narrow windows. Shutters close to keep the hot sun out in the summer. Windows and doorways are encircled with wildly growing vines.

The beautiful colors of the French countryside decorate fabrics used in French Country decorating. The traditional fabrics combine well with basic plaids, checks, and stripes in modern homes. Provencal prints combine shades of primary colors with greens, lavenders, and bright orange.

Traditional French country products and motifs include roosters, olives, sunflowers, grapes, lavendar, and beetles. The designs are often arranged in regular intervals, bordered by a wide panel of the motifs in different scale. This is typical for textile products such as tablecloths and curtain panels.

Toile is a traditional design for French Country fabrics. A white, cream, or yellow ground has large motifs in a single contrasting color, such as black, blue, red, or green. Toile themes include farm animals, monkeys and Chinese patterns, bucolic country scenes, or courting scenes of the 18th century. Most toile patterns are printed on linen or cotton.

Generous baskets woven or wire baskets, colorful ceramics and tiles, carved wood pieces, and Chinoiserie pottery, and natural grasses are used for accessories in a room decorated in the French Country style. Old, dark or colorful paintings adorn the walls.

Lush natural flowers are everywhere! Baskets, an old pitcher or copper pot, or clear glass vases hold flowers inside and out. The aim is to bring the wonderful colors and textures of nature into the home. Window boxes outside shout with the colors of whatever will grow. Geraniums and lavender are especially popular.

Both colorful and muted pottery adorns a French Country table. The same themes of roosters, olives, and vivid flowers are found on tableware. Don't forget iron candle holders, wire baskets, heavy pottery water pitchers, and colorful tablecloths.

By incorporating some or all of the elements mentioned here, you're bound to have a wonderful French Country interior in your home. C'est bon!